Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-14
THE INTER STATE INCUBUS.
THEATRICAL PEOPLE CLAMERoUs AGAINST
THE NEW LAW

THEATRICAL PEOPLE CLAMEROUS AGAINST
THE NEW LAW.
CHICAGO, ILL, April 9.-The managers
and other representatives of the different
theatrical interests met at Hooley's
theater to-day to take action designed to
avert the disastrous effects to travelling
companies by the Interstate railroad
law. Colonel MCCaull occupied the chair
and about thirty other managers and rep
resentatives of different theaters in Chi
cago were present.
G. II. Mcconnell read the report of the
committee appointed at Thursdays
! meeting, which recommended that per-
manent organization be effected for the
purpose of carrying on a vigorous fight
for existence. The name recommended
f.r the organization was the National
Amusement Protective Association, to
have its headquarters in Chicago.
The committee also presented 8
memorial or petition to the inter
state railroad commission. Copies
Of this are to be sent to every
theater and theatrical company IN the
country with instructions for each en-
ploye or member, or any person inter
ested in the theatrical profession to mail
one to the secretary of the railroad COM
mission at Washington. The result of
putting this plan in operation, the com
mittee said, would be that the commits
sioners would soon have 10000 petitions
per day pouring in on them. The report
of the committee was adopted and David
Henderson was chosen president and
Charles II. Williams secretary.
The petition which will be sent to the
railroad commission asks that the pro-
visions of the new law as applied to the
amusement profession be suspended for
twenty days, for the reason that all exist
ing contracts between travelling compa-
MES and local managers were entered
into before the law was passed. 1t also
asks the commission to SO interpret the
law as to permit railroad companies to
make reduced rates for theat-
riCal parties of not less than
ten persons and increase the
allowance of baggage, with concessions
for carloads of scenely. 1t thus presents
the situation as it affects the theatrical
business. There are about 500 organized
combinations constantly travelling On
Guiding CirCuses) which employ in the ag-
gregate upward of 10, 900 adults There
are upward of $500 theaters, opera
houses and places of amusement in the
United States, giving employment
to about 10000 persons. These
local amusement places can not exist nor
any return on the immense capital in
vested therein be had, except through the
cooperation of the 500 travelling combi-
nations playing engagements throughout
the year in the respective houses. There
are at least $4,000 persons employed in
collateral branches mainly depend
ent upon "show business
so-called, such as printers,
costumers, bill posters, scene painters,
manufacturers of theatrical wares and
merchandise generally. 1t is q reasonable
assumption that there are $50, 900 people
who are dependent for their support upon
the labor of the 5000 adults above men,
toned as being employed in the amuse-
ment profession.
1t is estimated that the amount of
money paid by the amusement compa-
MES annually to the railroad companies
is upward of $2,5O0,OO0. Under the in
ter-state commerce law this amount would
be increased by at least S2,000,000, pro-
vided the same number of persons trav-
eled as heretofore, with the same amount
of baggage, scenery, etc. This increased
expense represents far more than the ag-
gregate profit Ofrall the leading amuse-
ment enterprises'e combined.